Graduate Profile

Dorothy Etheridge - My Experience

My experience at WGU has not only been a fulfilling experience, but extremely rewarding
in more ways than one. I realized in making my decision to return to college that
a traditional classroom atmosphere would not suit my needs as a single mother and
full-time employee. When I researched WGU, I found that its competency-based learning
style allowed me the flexibility to work at my own pace and to formulate my study
time around my busy lifestyle.

I began attending WGU in June of 2005, majoring in finance. However, in my third
term I decided to change my major to Business Management. I entered the university
with an A.A.S. in paralegal technology which allowed me to transfer credit for 13
of the required 131 competency units for my major. That, along with my ability to
accelerate the learning process by going beyond my required competency units for
any given term allowed me to complete the program in a little shy of two years.
I think this is one of the best aspects of WGU. Not only can you work ahead, but
along with the guidance of your mentor, you can tailor your workload to meet whatever
demands your life may have at the time. For example, my second term was considerably
light due to the fact that I had to have a major surgery at that time. However,
I compensated for that light term by completing a larger number of assessments in
my third and fourth terms. It's that kind of flexibility that truly makes WGU stand
out from the rest.

I am honestly thrilled about completing my bachelor's degree through WGU. I know
that this experience has and will continue to open a lot of doors for my future.
I have already received a 9 percent pay increase due to the completion of my degree.
And even more importantly, my options for new jobs, should I decide to change careers,
have become more plentiful.

I cannot think of enough good things to say about Western Governors University. I
know it has truly allowed me to change my life. Should I decide to continue my education
further, I will definitely keep WGU in mind for its master's degree programs. I
value my educational experience with this university and would recommend it to anyone!